Inuit continue to push for an Inuit management authority for the Pikialasorsuaq area

September 11, 2024 – Nuuk, Greenland –On September 11th-12th 2024, Parties, Observers, and Participants met for the first Pikialasorsuaq Meeting of the Parties, hosted in Nuuk, Kalaallit Nunaat, by Inuit Circumpolar Council (ICC) and Qikiqtani Inuit Association (QIA). Intended to advance upon the work of the ICC Pikialasorsuaq Commission and its three concluding recommendations, those present met to hear updates of the work of participants, the current and future environmental and economic status of the region, and advance the recommendation to establish an Inuit Management Authority.

Pivotal to these discussions were the presence of the three former Pikialasorsuaq commissioners Kuupik Kleist, Eva Aariak and Okalik Eegeesiak, the Qikiqtani Inuit Association, the fisher and hunter association of Kalaallit Nunaat KNAPK, the government representatives of Canada and Greenland, environmental Non-Governmental Organizations World Wildlife Fund and Oceans North, and representatives from ICC Canada and ICC Kalaallit Nunaat.

ICC Chair Sara Olsvig states:

“Building on our inherent right of self-determination, we find ourselves with a historic opportunity to create and pave new grounds for the implementation of the rights of Indigenous Peoples. Inuit continue to pursue and implement leadership in management of our lands, territories, waters, ice and resources. For cross-border cooperation.

Pikialasorsuaq has become a beacon, as an iconic example and a condensed example of the multiple aspects of Inuit rights, from political to social rights, to the right of self-determination, to a decolonization of systems and rigid state-based thinking, to the right to a safe life in dignity, with respect for our identity and ways of living”.

QIA President Olayuk Akesuk reflects on the closing of the Meeting of the Parties:

“Pikialasorsuaq underscores the importance of collaborative solutions for Inuit-led conservation in the Arctic. QIA’s participation in co-hosting the first Meeting of the Parties for Pikialasorsuaq underscored the importance of the region as we advance conservation outcomes critical to Inuit on both sides of the North Water Polynya.

I was very pleased with the interaction of all participants and look forward to participating in discussions that advance the establishment of an Inuit Management Authority and ongoing yearly interactions between our regions as called for by the Inuit caucus over the two days.”

Building on the Letter of Intent signed by the Governments of Greenland and Canada in 2023, the first Meeting of the Parties worked to ensure continued engagement by making 21 recommendations to both governments. They take inspiration from and adhere to the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples, while highlighting the work of the former Pikialasorsuaq Commission and its 2017 report.

The Pikialasorsuaq Region is and will continue to be of critical environmental, biological, and societal importance, and a human rights-centered approach to its safeguarding is necessary. As a main focus, ICC and QIA recommends continuing to work towards an Inuit-led management regime through the establishment of an Inuit Management Authority that balances subsistence use and safeguarding for the benefit of Inuit, and those who may operate within our waters.

The hosts wishes to thank the funding from World Wildlife Fund, Oceans North and the UN Equator Prize that made it possible to have the Meeting of the Parties.

Read the 21 Inuit recommendations here: https://www.inuitcircumpolar.com/position-papers/piki-alasorsuaq-meeting-of-the-parties-nuuk-september-11-12-2024/

RELATED LINKS

• Circumpolar Inuit Protocols For Equitable And Ethical Engagement
• People of the Ice Bridge: The Future of the Pikialasorsuaq

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ICC holds Consultative Status II at the United Nations Economic and Social Council, is a co-founder and Permanent Participant at the Arctic Council, an Observer at the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, and holds Provisional Consultative Status at the International Maritime Organization alongside other advisory and consultative roles across numerous international fora.